Tuesday 30 May 2017

Scenic Tour: Mirkwood

Mirkwood is easy to miss out because it is not readily accessible. First you need the Siege of Mirkwood expansion, then you need to start the epic quest line in Vol. 2, Book 9 to be able to get a boat from Lothlórien across the Anduin, and finally you need to complete the Mirkwood Landing quests in the Mirk-eaves before you can enter the rest of Mirkwood.

Looking across the Anduin towards Mirkwood
The docks at Imlad Lalaith
The Mirkwood Landing camp at Echad Sirion

The story in Mirkwood is very well done and leads you through the zone. You really get the sense of the encroaching orcs, undead and corrupted beasts taking over the forest and bringing destruction wherever they go, and the elves fighting to hold back the invasion and disrupt the Necromancer's plans.

The elvish outpost at Ost Galadh is surrounded by healthy forest
The orcish fortress of Dol Goldur is surrounded by dying forest

There are some surprising and interesting places tucked away in the forest off the beaten path. The swamps of the Drownholt with the angry huorns at Sâd Meryrn; the stone circle at Hrigg Vidukuni in Emyn Lûm; the spider den at Gorogrod and the Shrine of the Ancient One in the Scuttledells; the Verdant Shrine in Taur Morvith, and Sâd Doldúr in the Ashenslades, to name a few spots that are worth exploring.

Blue sky is a rare sight in gloomy Mirkwood

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